This invention relates to frameless cabinets and more particularly to a system for connecting a cabinet door to a cabinet wall of a frameless cabinet.
Frameless cabinet constructions having cabinet walls with doors hingedly connected thereto are well known. German Offenlegungsschrift DE 4405349A1 discloses a structural wall having a recess extending from a front opening into the interior of the wall. The recess communicates with a slot formed in a wall side. A hinge member having flanges is connected to the wall structure by positioning the flanges in the recess and the hinge member per se in the slot communicating with the recess.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,067,200, issued Nov. 26, 1991, shows a hinge suitable for use with cabinets having inset doors. The hinge can be installed and adjusted on the door at the installation site. The hinge has hinge wings which are concealed when the door is in the closed position. The hinge includes a clamping plate parallel to a leg of a door wing engageable in a slot in the slotted edge of the door.
The following prior art also is known and believed representative of the current state of the prior art: U.S. Pat. No. 4,703,539, issued Nov. 3, 1987, U.S. Pat. No. 5,511,287, issued Apr. 30, 1996, U.S. Pat. No. 4,799,290, issued Jan. 24, 1989, U.S. Pat. No. 4,856,141, issued Aug. 15, 1989, U.S. Pat. No. 5,327,616, issued Jul. 12, 1994, U.S. Pat. No. 5,375,297, issued Dec. 27, 1994, U.S. Pat. No. 5,108,165, issued Apr. 28, 1992, U.S. Pat. No. RE. 36,213, issued Jun. 1,1999, U.S. Pat. No. RE. 30,717, issued Aug. 25, 1981, U.S. Pat. No. 5,052,077, issued Oct. 1, 1991, U.S. Pat. No. 4,615,072, issued Oct. 7, 1986, U.S. Pat. No. 4,517,706, issued May 21, 1985, U.S. Pat. No. 4,698,877, issued Oct. 13, 1987, U.S. Pat. No. 5,392,493, issued Feb. 28, 1995, U.S. Pat. No. 5,577,296, issued Nov. 26, 1996, U.S. Pat. No. 5,103,532, issued Apr. 14, 1992, U.S. Pat. No. 4,704,766, issued Nov. 10, 1987, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,976,006, issued Dec. 11, 1990. A frameless cabinet door hinge is closed in German Offenlegungsschrift DE 4405349A1. Other hinges of some degree of relevance are shown in pages 93 and 112-114 of the 1998 Charles McMurray Catalog.
The prior art indicated above does not teach or suggest the invention disclosed and claimed herein.
The present invention relates to a system for hingedly connecting a cabinet door to a cabinet wall of a frameless cabinet. The apparatus is characterized by its simplicity and relatively low cost. Furthermore, the installation of the hinge structure is quickly and easily accomplished. The resultant construction is quite strong.
Utilizing to the system of this invention, a hinge is fastened in place on a cabinet wall of a frameless cabinet quickly and efficiently. The cabinet wall includes spaced inner and outer wall sides and a wall front extending between the inner and outer wall sides. The cabinet wall defines an opening of predetermined size in the inner wall side spaced from the wall front. An elongated recess is spaced from the wall front communicating with the opening and extending rearwardly from the opening between the wall sides.
An elongated slot is formed in the inner wall side extending along the elongated recess and communicating therewith.
The opening has a vertical dimension greater than the vertical dimension of the elongated recess and the elongated recess has a vertical dimension greater than the vertical dimension of the elongated slot.
The structural combination further includes a hinge having a first hinge member for attachment to a cabinet door and a second hinge member pivotally connected to the first hinge member and including an elongated support plate having a distal end. The elongated support plate is of a length exceeding the combined lengths of the opening and the elongated slot.
Fastener means connects the elongated support plate to the cabinet wall, the fastener means comprising a threaded bolt extending from the elongated support plate into the elongated slot at a location spaced from the opening and a fastener member disposed in the elongated recess and releasably threadedly engaged with the bolt. A portion of the cabinet wall defining the elongated slot is clampingly engaged between the elongated support plate and the fastener member.
Other features, advantages, and objects of the present invention will become apparent with reference to the following description and accompanying drawings.